you wish again to witness the desolation which it has spread over the land, and which we are now slowly repairing? Then pass this bankrupt bill. Inform the farmer, who is now contented and happy, and whom experience has taught the danger of entering into trade, that he may become a merchant or a landjobber; that he may proceed to any excess he thinks proper; that he need confine the extravagance of his speculations within no other limit but the extent of his credit; that if, at last, he should be successful, unbounded wealth will be his portion-if not, the law will discharge him from all his debts, and enable him to begin a new career; hold out a lure to all the industrious classes in society to abandon their useful and honorable pursuits, and enter into speculation of some kind or other, by proclaiming it as the law, that, if they should prove unsuccessful, their debts shall be cancelled, and they shall be restored to their former situation. Such a law would present the strongest temptations to every man in society to become indolent and extravagant, because every man in society is embraced by its provisions. In this respect it is as novel as it is dangerous. Rest assured, Mr. Speaker, that our population require the curb more than the rein. If you hold out such encouragement to unbounded speculation as this bill presents, we shall, before many years, see all the occurrences again presented before us which have involved the country in unexampled distress. The time may come, ages hence, when a bankrupt law may become necessary for the encouragement of commerce. History has instructed us that nations, like men, rise, and flourish, and decay. At present our population possesses all the vigor and enterprise of youth. The stimulus of such a bill would drive us on to madness. It would be putting into the hands of Phæton the reins of the chariot of the sun. The day will come, but I trust it is now far distant, when old age shall fall upon us as a nation-when wealth shall beget luxury and corruption-and when we shall be enfeebled in all our exertions. Then it may be necessary to hold out extraordinary allurements to commercial enterprise. When that day shall arrive; when our country shall be sinking into decline; when her energies shall be paralyzed; and when, perhaps, a new Republic, vigorous as ours is at present, may be her competitor in commerce, then, and not till then, will it be necessary that Congress should exercise the power vested in them by the Constitution, and pass uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies. When Mr. B. had concluded- H. OF R. put, on reading the bill a third time, and decided in the negative-yeas 72, nays 99, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Allen of Massachusetts, Baldwin, Barbour of Connecticut, Bayly, Bigelow, Borland, Breckenridge, Burrows, Cambreleng, Campbell of New York, Causden, Cocke, Colden, Conkling, Crafts, Cushman, Darlington, Denison, Durfee, Dwight, Eddy, Edwards of Connecticut, Edwards of Pennsylvania, Eustis, Farrelly. Findlay, Fuller, Gorham, Hawks, Herrick, Hill, Holcombe, Hubbard, Jones of Tennessee, Kent, Kirkland, Little, McCarty, Milnor, Montgomery, Moore of Pennsylvania, Moore of Virginia, Moore of Alabama, Neale, Nelson of Massachusetts, Patterson of New York, Pitcher,_ Poinsett, Rich, Sergeant, S. Smith, J. S. Smith, Sterling of ConnectiRochester, Rogers, Ruggles, Russ, Russell, Sawyer, cut, Sterling of New York, Stoddard, Taylor, Tod, Tomlinson, Tracy, Van Rensselaer, White, Whitman, Williamson, Wood, Woodson, and Wright. Archer, Ball, Barber of Ohio, Bassett, Bateman, BayNAYS-Messrs. Alexander, Allen of Tennessee, lies, Blackledge, Blair, Brown, Buchanan, Burton, Butler, Campbell of Ohio, Cannon, Cassedy, Chambers, Condict, Conner, Cook, Cuthbert, Dane, Dickinson, Edwards of North Carolina, Floyd, Gilmer, Gist, Gross, Hall, Hardin, Harvey, Hobart, Hooks, Jackson, F. Johnson, J. T. Johnson, J. S. Johnston, Jones of Virginia, Keyes, Lathrop, Leftwich, Lincoln, Litchfield, Long, Lowndes, McCoy, McDuffie, McNeill, McSherry, Mallary, Matlack, Matson, Mattocks, Mercer, Metcalfe, Mitchell of Pennsylvania, Mitchell of South Carolina, Morgan, Murray, Nelson of Virginia, New, Newton, Overstreet, Patterson of Pennsylvania, Phillips, Pierson, Plumer of New Hampshire, Plumer of Pennsylvania, Reed of Massachusetts, Reid of Georgia, Rhea, Ross, Sanders, Scott, Sloan, Arthur Smith, W. Smith, Alexander Smyth, Stevenson, Stewart, Tucker of South Carolina, Tucker of Virginia, UpSwan, Swearingen, Tatnall, Thompson, Trimble, ham, Vance, Van Wyck, Walker, Walworth, Whipple, Williams of North Carolina, Williams of Virginia, Wilson, Woodcock, and Worman. So the bill was rejected. And then the House adjourned. WEDNESDAY, March 13. Mr. SERGEANT, from the Committee on the Judiciary, who were instructed, on the 14th ultimo, to inquire into the expediency of permitting aliens, who resided within the limits and jurisdiction of the United States one year immediately preceding the declaration of the late war between the United States and Great Britain, and who have continued to reside within the same, to become citizens without a compliance with the first condition "An act to establish an uniform rule of naturali To put an end to further discussion of the sub-specified in the first section of the act entitled ject, Mr. TAYLOR remarked that he felt it his duty to call for the previous question, and, on motion, it was decided in the affirmative-yeas 96. At the suggestion of Mr. NELSON, of Virginia, Mr. CAMBRELENG moved for a reconsideration of the vote for the previous question just taken; but the House refused to reconsider the same-yeas 69, nays 83. The main question was then ordered, and was zation," approved April 14th, 1802, made a report thereon; which was read, and committed to the Committee of the whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. SERGEANT, from the same committee, also reported a bill to authorize the Secretary of State to issue letters patent to Frederick S. Warburg; which bill was read twice, and committed to a Committee of the whole House to-morrow. Mr. GILMER submitted the following resolution, viz: Resolved, That the Secretary of State be instructed to report to the House of Representatives, what evidences of claims, recorded in the office of the Department of State, in pursuance of the act of Congress, passed 31st March, 1814, providing for the indemnification of certain claims of public lands in the Mississippi Territory, remain in that office, after having been rejected by the commissioners appointed under that act; whether the Secretary of State has refused to deliver up such evidences of claims to the claimants, together with the reasons of such refusal, specifying the names of such claimants as applied to withdraw their evidences of claims. The resolution was ordered to lie on the table one day. Mr. EDWARDS, of North Carolina, moved for the consideration of the joint resolution from the Senate, now lying on the table, for fixing a time for the adjournment of Congress, which motion was negatived the House refusing to consider it. RULES OF THE HOUSE. On motion of Mr. NELSON, of Virginia, the House went into the consideration of the report of the select committee appointed to revise and alter the standing rules and orders of the House. The first alteration proposed in the report, was of the 16th rule, so as to substitute Maine for New Hampshire, in the order of calling petitions. MARCH 1822. Mr. STERLING, of New York, proposed to amend the amendment, by inserting, after the word "resolutions," the words, "unless in the opinion of the Speaker further time shall be required." The amendment of Mr, S. was opposed by Mr. MALLARY, and negatived. Mr. EDWARDS, of Connecticut, then offered the following amendment to the amendment, to be inserted after the word "resolutions," viz: "unless in the opinion of the House further time shall be necessary, which question shall not be subject to debate." This proposition was also negatived, as were others respectively submitted by Messrs. BATEMAN, COOK, and EDWARDS, of North Carolina. The question then recurring upon the adoption of the amendment as recommended by the committee, the same was supported by Messrs. SMITH, of Maryland, TOMLINSON, COOK, and RICH, and opposed by Messrs. RHEA, PLUMER, of New Hampshire, and WALKER; when the question was taken and the amendment was adopted. After passing various other amendments proposed to the present rules-- The first amendment proposed to the 52d rule being under consideration Mr. CANNON moved to amend the same, by adding thereto words to constitute the Committee on the Militia a standing committee. The motion was supported by the mover and opposed by Messrs. TAYLOR, SMITH, of Maryland, and McCoy, and negatived. The clause as reported to be added to the 52d rule being under consideration The alteration was supported by Mr. NELSON, of Virginia, Mr. HILL, and Mr. SMITH, of Maryland, and opposed by Mr. McCoy, Mr. TUCKER, Mr. EUSTIS proposed to strike out the following of Virginia, Mr. WOODCOCK, and Mr. MALLARY, part thereof, next after the word "report," viz: when the question was taken and the alteration" from time to time, such measures as may contriadopted. Another alteration was proposed to the 16th rule in relation to the presentation of petitions, forbidding the same, after thirty days from the commencement of the session, except on the first day of the meeting of the House in each week. Mr. CAMPBELL, of Ohio, moved to erase the word "thirty" and in lieu thereof to insert the word "fifty." Messrs. RHEA, and WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, were disposed to non-concur altogether with the proposed amendment. They considered it as an improper curtailment of the right of petitioning. After some further remarks by Messrs. NELSON, of Virginia, MERCER, and FULLER, the question was taken on Mr. CAMPBELL'S motion, and lost. On the question of adopting the amendment as reported, it was decided affirmatively. The following proposition was reported to be added to the 17th rule, viz: "No more than an 'hour each day, shall be devoted to the subject of reports from committees, and resolutions; after 'which, the Speaker shall dispose of the bills, messages, and communications, on his table, and 'then proceed to call the orders of the day." The proposition was opposed by Mr. BUTLER, who thought the only beneficial curtailment would be, by devising some method of limiting the long speeches that had consumed so much time during this session. bute to the economy and accountability of the said establishment," and to insert, in lieu thereof, the words "their opinion thereupon." The motion to strike out was supported by the mover, and Messrs. MERCER, FULLER, and McCoy, and opposed by Messrs. TAYLOR, SMITH of Maryland, TOMLINSON, WILLIAMS of North Carolina, and NELSON of Virginia; when the question was taken and the motion negatived. Mr. TOMLINSON moved so to amend the proposition as to provide that the said committee report their opinion upon the measures submitted to them, and also to report from time to time such measures as may contribute to economy and accountability in the said establishment. The question was then taken upon the motion of Mr. T. and carried, and the question next recurring upon the amendment as amended, the same was adopted. Mr. TAYLOR proposed a similar modification to the last of Mr. TOMLINSON, in respect to that part of the amendment which relates to the Committee on Naval Affairs; the same was agreed to, and the amendment as amended was then adopted. The remaining branch of the amendment, in relation to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, after some verbal emendations, was concurred in. A new rule, to be inserted after the 56th rule, providing that the Clerk of the House of Representatives, at the commencement of every session of Congress, shall cause to be printed and delivered to each member a list of reports, &c., which it is the duty of any officer or Department of Government to make to Congress, was also concurred in. A new rule, as reported for the 82d rule, after sustaining a modification, on motion of Mr. RICH, was also adopted. The last proposition reported by the committee was in the following words: "Nor shall any rule be suspended except by a vote of at least twothirds of the members present." The concurrence with this amendment was opposed by Mr. WILLIAMS of North Carolina, and Mr. MERCER, and supported by Mr. NELSON of Virginia; when the question was taken thereon, and the amendment was concurred in. Mr. MERCER moved to insert, as an addition to the 22d rule, the following: "Nor shall any member remain in the hall covered, during the session of the House, without the permission of the Speaker." H. OF R. The question being taken upon the latter, it was decided in the negative; when, the question recurring upon the original proposition, the same was also negatived. Mr. MERCER submitted an amendment to the 2d rule, the purport of which was, that, after a subject had been under discussion for three hours on each day of three successive days, in the House or in Committee of the Whole, a motion to adjourn, or rise and report, (unless the question shall have been decided,) should not be in order before 7 o'clock, P. M. The question was supported by the mover, and opposed by Mr. RHEA, who concluded his remarks by moving to amend the amendment by striking out the words "7 o'clock, P. M." and by inserting in lieu thereof the words "the question is taken." The motion was negatived, and the question recurring upon the original amendment Mr. MERCER called for the yeas and nays, which were accordingly ordered. Some further The question was discussed by Messrs. MERCER remarks were made by Messrs. BUCHANAN and and HARDIN in favor of the motion, and by Messrs. LOWNDES in favor of the amendment, and by WILLIAMS of North Carolina, LITTLE, WALKER, Messrs. WRIGHT, ARCHER, F. JOHNSON, MONTand TRIMBLE, in opposition to it; when Mr. TAY-GOMERY, HARDIN, SMYTH, RHEA, and FARRELLY, LOR submitted it as a question of order, that this proposition was not susceptible of debate or determination, without being laid one day on the table. Mr. MERCER Considered it to be in order as an amendment to rules that were now under discussion. The SPEAKER decided that the motion was in order; and, after a few further remarks by Mr. MERCER in favor of the motion, and by Mr. SAWYER against it, the question was taken, and decided in the negative-ayes 63, noes 77. Mr. MERCER then submitted an amendment of the 18th rule, so as to prefix thereto the following words: "No member shall read a newspaper, write or read a private letter, in his seat, during the session of the House." in opposition to it, when Mr. WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, moved that the whole subject be laid on the table. Mr. TAYLOR Contended that it was not practicable to lay on the table the original report of the select committee, which had been fully acted upon. The CHAIR decided that the motion was in order. Mr. WRIGHT appealed from the decision of the Chair. Mr. WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, supported, and Mr. TAYLOR opposed the decision, when Mr. WRIGHT withdrew the appeal. Mr. WILLIAMS, of North Carolina, having understood from the SPEAKER that the motion to lay on the table would apply only to the last proposition, withdrew the same. This motion was opposed by Messrs. WRIGHT and RHEA, and negatived without a division. Mr. CAMPBELL, of Ohio, proposed to renew the Mr. WRIGHT moved, as a new rule, the follow-motion, when the SPEAKER decided that the whole ing: "That no person shall be permitted to smoke subject, as last proposed by Mr. MERCER, was not a cigar in the hall nor in the outer lobby of the in order before the House. hall." This motion was also negatived without a division. Mr. NELSON, of Virginia, moved to reconsider the 82d rule, for the purpose of introducing a proposition, that a motion to adjourn should not be in order before the hour of 4 o'clock, if any question should then be before the House. The House agreed to reconsider, and adopted the amendment as proposed. Mr. COCKE moved to amend the 21st rule, so as to provide that no member should be allowed to speak more than an hour at one time, without special leave of the House. Mr. Ross moved to amend the amendment by inserting after the word "speak" the words "or read a speech," so as to read-no member shall be allowed to speak or read a speech, more than an hour at one time, without special leave of the House. Mr. F. JONES, of Tennessee, opposed both the amendment and the amendment to the amendment. Mr. NELSON, of Virginia, then moved that the proviso to the 16th, and the amendment to the 17th rules, should not take effect until the next session of Congress; but, before any decision thereon, at 5 o'clock, the House adjourned. THURSDAY, March 14. On motion of Mr. JONES, of Tennessee, the Committee on the Public Lands were instructed to inquire into the expediency of vesting in Alvira Debrel, formerly Alvira Mitchell, and Sophia Hancock, formerly Sophia Mitchell, daughter of Samuel Mitchell, by Molly, a Choctaw woman, the title to five thousand one hundred and twenty acres of land, reserved to them by the Treaty of Mount Dexter, concluded between the United States of America and the Choctaw nation of Indians, on the 16th day of November, 1805. On motion of Mr. MITCHELL, of South Caro lina, the Committee on Commerce were instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing beacons or buoys on the bar of the port of Georgetown, South Carolina, and ascertain the compensation for keeping the same in repair. Mr. STEWART submitted the following resolution, viz: Resolved, That the Postmaster General be instructed to communicate to this House any information he may possess relative to the failures and delays of the United States mail between Washington city and Wheeling, the causes which have produced them, and the means of preventing them in future. The resolution was ordered to lie on the table. The SPEAKER laid before the House a letter from the Secretary of War, transmitting a list of officers of the Army of the United States who hold brevet commissions for gallant conduct in battle, and for other causes, communicated in pursuance of a resolution of this House; which letter and list were ordered to lie on the table. Mr. RANKIN, from the Committee on the Public Lands, to whom was referred a bill from the Senate, for granting to the Governor of Louisiana two tracts of land in the county of Point Coupee, in the State of Louisiana, reported the same with an amendment to strike out the first section of the bill, (which grants the site of the old fort for the use of a college,) and, on motion of Mr. R., the report was ordered to lie on the table. The resolution submitted yesterday by Mr. GILMER, calling for information from the Department of State, relative to the titles of certain lands in the Mississippi Territory, which remain in that Department, was taken up and agreed to. MARCH, 1822. ordered that the rules and regulations of the House, as amended, be printed. The House then went into a Committee of the Whole on sundry private bills. A bill for the relief of Benjamin Freeland and John M. Jenkins, being under considerationMr. RANKIN moved to strike out the first and only enacting clause of the bill. Mr. TAYLOR suggested it to the member from Mississippi, (Mr. RANKIN,) as a matter of form, that it would be more parliamentary to move to strike out those words in the bill which imply legislation, than the first and only enacting clause. Mr. R. modified his motion accordingly. The motion to strike out was supported by the mover, and by Messrs. STERLING, of New York, McCoy, and CANNON, and opposed by Messrs. Cook and BUTLER, when the question was taken thereon, and the motion to strike out prevailed. A bill for the relief of James McFarland was then taken up. After a few explanatory remarks, Mr. RANKIN moved to strike out the first enacting clause of this bill also ; and supported the motion by a number of observations. The motion was opposed by Mr. Cook and Mr. STERLING, of New York, to whom Mr. RANKIN replied; and, the question being taken, was decided in the affirmative. Mr. RANKIN then moved that the Committee rise and report their decisions on these bills, which was put and lost, when a bill for the relief of Jonathan N. Baily was taken up, and a few explanatory remarks were made by Mr. SMITH, of Maryland, in favor of the bill, and, after a few suggesMr. WALWORTH called for the consideration of tions by Messrs. LOWNDES, McCoy, WILLIAMS, a joint resolution, submitted by him some days of North Carolina, and WALWORTH, the Commitsince, proposing an amendment of the Constitu- tee rose and reported the bill without amendment. tion of the United States, so as to restore to the In the House, Mr. Cook moved that the report respective States the power of enacting bankrupt of the Committee of the Whole to strike out the laws, until such time as the Congress shall estab-enacting words of the bill for the relief of Benjalish an uniform system of bankruptcy. The question of consideration was carriedayes 64, noes 41. The resolution was then read twice, and committed to a Committee of the whole House on the state of the Union. Mr. WHITMAN gave notice that he should, on Monday next, move that the House go into a Committee of the Whole on the state of the Union, upon the resolution from the Senate, proposing an amendment to the Constitution in relation to the choice of President and Vice President of the United States, and Representatives to Congress. The unfinished business of yesterday, in relation to the rules and orders of the House, was then taken up, and the question recurred upon the motion of Mr. NELSON, of Virginia, yesterday, proposing to postpone the operation of the rule in respect to the receipt of petitions, and also the rule for restricting the time of hearing reports, &c., until the next session of Congress and, after some further debate, the proposition on both points was negatived. On motion of Mr. NELSON, of Virginia, it was min Freeland and John M. Jenkins be laid on the table; which was agreed to. On the question of concurrence with the Committee of the Whole, in striking out the first clause of the bill for the relief of James McFarland, Mr. Cook opposed the concurrence, and Mr. RANKIN and Mr. COCKE advocated it. The House refused to concur with the Committee of the Whole-yeas 49, nays 53. Mr. RANKIN then moved to recommit the bill to the Committee on Public Lands, which was agreed to. The report of the Committee of the Whole on the bill for the relief of Jonathan N. Baily was concurred in, and ordered to be engrossed for a third reading. EXCHANGE OF STOCKS. On motion of Mr. SMITH, of Maryland, the House then resolved itself into a Committee of the Whole, on "a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to exchange certain stocks." The general object of the bill was to pay off the United States' stocks, bearing six and seven, per cent. interest at five per cent. redeemable at a future period. Mr. BALDWIN moved to amend the bill by inserting after the word "thirteen" in the 7th line, the words, "and also two millions of the six per cent. stocks of 1820." Mr. LOWNDES suggested that it was probable, from the tenor of the report of the Secretary of the Treasury, that the two millions contemplated by the amendment would be redeemed within no long time, and it would therefore be inexpedient to continue for many years to pay interest for the sum when it was in our power to redeem the principal; and that the effect of the amendment would naturally be to injure the public credit by carrying with it the impression that the Government was not able to redeem that portion of the debt as soon as expected. Mr. TUCKER, of Virginia, proposed to modify the amendment in such a manner as to leave it discretionary with the Executive to include the six per cent. of 1820, or not, as he may deem expedient. This course was advocated by Mr. CAMBRELENG, but the modification was not then acceded to by the mover, and an extensive range of debate ensued upon the original amendment, which was supported by the mover and Messrs. TRIMBLE, MALLARY, BUCHANAN, Ross, and FARRELLY, and opposed by Messrs. SMITH, of Maryland, COLDEN, LOWNDES, WOOD, GORHAM, and NELSON, of Virginia. Mr. BALDWIN finally expressed his willingness to leave it to the Executive to include the stock of 1820 or not, conformably to Mr. TUCKER's proposition; but before the question was determined, the Committee rose, reported progress, and the House adjourned. FRIDAY, March 15. H. OF R. from injuries the same great interests, and ought not to be repealed. Resolved, That the Government of the United States, having uniformly declared and avowed its attachment to the principles of free commerce, and having, in the treaties which it has formed and agreed to, with foreign nations, and in its relative acts, adhered to them, should be the last to abandon them, and especially at a time when every just and enlightened nation is conforming its commercial policy to an accordance with those principles. Mr. SLOAN, from the Committee of Elections, made a report on the certificates of the election of the members of the House; which was laid on the table. Mr. SMITH, of Maryland, from the Committee of Ways and Means, reported a bill to make perpetual an act passed the 3d day of March, 1817, entitled "An act to continue in force an act, entitled 'An act further to provide for the collection of duties on imports and tonnage, passed the 3d day of March, 1815, and for other purposes;" which was read twice and committed to a Committee of the Whole. Mr. RANKIN, from the Committee on the Public Lands, to whom the subject was referred on the 15th of December last, reported a bill providing for the examination of the titles to land in that part of the State of Louisiana, situated between the Rio Hondo and the Sabine river; which was read twice and committed to a Committee of the Whole. made a report on the petition of Cornelius Huson, Mr. WILLIAMS, from the Committee of Claims, accompanied by a bill for the relief of Cornelius Huson; which bill was read twice and committed to the Committee of the Whole. committed to a Committee of the Whole. The House then took into consideration the res Mr. PLUMER, of New Hampshire, from the Committee on the Judiciary, reported a bill for the reMr. NEWTON, from the Committee on Com-lief of James Green; which was read twice and merce, to which was referred the bill from the Senate entitled "An act concerning the commerce and navigation of Florida," reported the same without amendment, and it was committed to the Committee of the whole on the state of the Union. Mr. NEWTON, of Virginia, from the Committee on that part of the President's Message which relates to our commercial intercourse with foreign nations, and the various petitions on the subject of commercial restrictions, (so called,) made a report, which, on motion of Mr. N., was committed, and, on motion of Mr. CUSHMAN, two thousand extra copies were ordered to be printed. This report concludes with the following resolutions: Resolved, That the act concerning navigation, passed the 18th of April, 1818, and the act supplementary to the act concerning navigation, passed the 15th of May, 1820; and, also, the act laying a tonnage duty on French vessels, passed the 15th of May, 1820, made necessary to countervail the restrictive systems of Great Britain and France, and for the protection of the navigation and commerce of the United States from injuries, are still, and, as long as those adversary systems shall continue, must be necessary to protect olution submitted yesterday by Mr. STEWART, relative to the irregularity of the Western mail, and adopted the same. On motion of Mr. SLOAN, election of Jeremiah Causden, returned a member Resolved, That Philip Reed, who contests the of this House, be permitted to appear within the bar, and be heard in support of his petition during the discussion of the report of the Committee of Elections on said petition. Mr. MERCER Submitted the following resolution, to wit: Resolved, That the following be added to the standing rules of the House: for more than three hours in each of three successive After any bill or resolution shall have been debated days, either in Committee of the Whole, or in the House, unless such bill or resolution shall have been finally disposed of, no motion for the committee to rise, or the House to adjourn, shall be in order before o'clock. The resolution was ordered to lie on the table one day. On motion of Mr. WALWORTH, the Committee |